


the complex art of letting go

by blueacid



Category: Initial D
Genre: Brotherly Love, Chapters 357-358, Fourth Stage ep 17, Light Angst, Other, ex-gang leader!keisuke was the hottest thing of this whole show and you can't convice me otherwise, ryousuke seems chill but he's WorriedTM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27133321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueacid/pseuds/blueacid
Summary: Watching his brother walk away, crowbar in hand, is without a doubt the worst moment in Ryousuke's life.
Relationships: Takahashi Keisuke & Takahashi Ryousuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	the complex art of letting go

**Author's Note:**

> This scene keeps haunting my dreams. Help me do something other than think about these two.

"Aniki, you stay here."

Keisuke's words are like a punch right through Ryousuke's ribcage - suddenly he's not sure he can breathe anymore. He's watching his little brother walk away, crowbar in hand, and it's without a doubt the worst time of his life.

_Stay here._

He's Project D leader, therefore he knows he must remain calm and collected to convince the rest of the team that all is well - especially Kenta and Fujiwara, whose worried gaze he can feel through their windshields. He's older, he's more experienced. If he loses his poker face, the whole group is going to panic and he definitely can't allow that. To reassure them, he must show them how much he _trusts_ Keisuke - the undeniable faith he has in his brother's abilities has to sweat through every pore of his skin.

And for that, he has to _stay there_.

He's doing his best, really, but he's almost shaking with rage. He's furious at these loathsome and dishonest Lan Evo drivers - yet another reason to despise those who drive these tasteless cars - at their violence, their cheating, their physical threats. How dare they - _how dare they_ threaten his team?

But more than anything, he's angry with himself.

He wasn't lying earlier, when he said he and Keisuke had considered the possibility of a physical confrontation with disgruntled drivers. Of course they'd thought about it. But there's a difference between preparing for a situation, and actually witnessing your _baby brother_ going alone to fight on the front lines.

He's ready to let Keisuke stand on his own feet. Well, almost. He's going to be ready - soon. That's Project D's primary goal after all. What he's _not_ ready for is to let his brother take a path that hasn't been cleared previously by him. And right now, seeing him about to confront gang members brings back painful memories of those days when a younger, wilder Keisuke led a life his older brother had no power over.

Ryousuke's palms are sweaty. He swallows. Not being in control is sickening.

Part of him wonders what he's most afraid of - his brother getting beaten up by delinquents, or just his brother finding himself in a situation where he can't even help him.

Where he _should'nt_ even help him, for he has to _stay here_.

Because Fumihiro - loyal, considerate Fumihiro - quietly asked Keisuke to "don't let Ryousuke get hurt". He heard them. And he trusts his brother, oh he'd trust him with his _life_. But it makes him so _mad_ that anyone can ask him to put himself in danger to protect him, especially when it's supposed to be Ryousuke's role to do so. Not the opposite.

What good is he, if he's not even able to shield his little brother from complications that have arisen because of Project D.

(What will he be good for, a small voice whispers to him, when he's fulfilled his role of mentor and Keisuke doesn't need him anymore?)

His posture remains rigid, and his gaze fixed on Keisuke's figure. Regardless of instructions to _stay here_ , he stands ready to step in should things get out of hand - just like half the team, he's sure.

He knows Keisuke is incredibly skilled and he himself has no fighting experience, but if intimidation doesn't work, there's no way they're going to let his brother face six or seven guys on his own.

But fortunately, they don't have to come to this. By a blessed coincidence, the thugs the Lan Evo drivers have called turn out to be former subordinates of Keisuke. Never would he have thought his brother's tumultuous past - which caused so much unhappiness in the Takahashi family - would one day prove so useful.

A huge breath of relief runs through him as he spots Keisuke coming back to them, looking vaguely sheepish as he explains to a stunned team how he solved their problem. He knows their teammates will respect his brother even more after this, and he's incredibly _proud_ of the peaceful way he got them out of the woods - in awe of the way he stepped forward to handle the situation.

The Keisuke standing in front of him is a mature adult, and no longer an impulsive brat. He still gives him gray hair because that's what little brothers do, but Ryousuke thinks that maybe, maybe the time to let him go will come sooner than expected.

And that's a moment he dreads as much as he looks forward to.

* * *

The minute they step through the doorway of their house, Ryousuke crushes his brother in a fierce hug, one like they haven't had in years – at least not since Keisuke became as tall and muscular than him. They don't show affection that way often, but right now Ryousuke needs to _feel_ and get into his brain that his brother is _unhurt_.

"You handled it well, Keisuke," he says proudly, hoping the tinge of concern muffled in his voice isn't too noticable.

They stay like that for a while, their coats not even removed.

"You know," Keisuke risks slowly, "that even if these guys didn't recognize me and I had to fight, it wouldn't have been– Aniki, you _know_ you didn't corner me, right?"

Ryousuke lets out a strangled chuckle because there's no way he wouldn't have been responsible had his brother been injured because of Project D. And he wouldn't have forgiven himself if Keisuke had been forced to resort to violence again - not after all his efforts to keep him away from that lifestyle, when he took the responsibility of introducing Keisuke to the world of street racing to give him new challenges.

But it's over now. The team is safe. _Keisuke_ is safe.

"Just don't do it anymore, okay?" he whispers.

_Don't ever ask me not to help you again._

And in response, Keisuke silently tightens his embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot for reading! Times are tough right now, so please take care of yourself!


End file.
